San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-07-28
From the Pacific Coast.


From the Pacific Coast.
SAN FRANCISCO, July Is.
ED. FREE PRESS Now that we
have left the booming city of Los
Angeles for brief vacation we will
explain why we never fulfilled our
promise to the FREE PRESS in giving
a general "write up" Of Southern Cal
ifornia.
They tell us that representation
is the thief of time" but in our case
it has been overwork and not delay.
Several times last winter we actually
began letters to the FREE PRESS, but
abandoned them for want of time, be-
cause the subjects to be discussed
could not be done justice in single
letter. For instance, when we say
that choice foot-hill land in the San
Gabriel Valley near Los Angeles is
worth from six to twelve hundred
dollars per acre, the reader at once
asks: Why is this? Why are tens
of thousands of people rushing to
Southern California, and towns
springing up as if by magic7 What
is there to support these towns and
sustain this boom? Is not this all q
temporary and fictitious boom?
You will at once see these questions
cannot be satisfactorily answered and
discussed in single letter But in
q series of letters to the FREE. PRESS
this summer and fall we shall endeav-
or to convince you that the entire
Pacific coast, from British Columbia
to Mexico, is what the real estate
vendor would call on a boom.
We are aware the editor of this
paperis opposed to the word ''boom"
and is inclined to decry the word
as applied to San Marcos snail
growth. In this respect we agree
with the editor. We are at loss to
divine how, even in the imagination
of the so called "Giddy Gusher," a
boom exists at San Marcos, at least
in the California sense of the word.
But in this country there is no
word SO expressive as "boom." Don't
quote Webster on us. The San
Francisco papers call Los Angeles
the city of booms. In to-day's Chron-
cle of this city, I see where the real
estate transfers for the first seven
lays in the city of Los Angeles
amounted to three and half million
of dollars. lis not that boom with q
Dig 'B?" Yes, we are forced to use
;he word out here, Webster to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
1t seems as if the eyes of the whole
United States are at present turned
,owards the Pacific coast. Seattle
md Tacoma on Puget Sound, and
Portland, Oregon, are rapidly push
ng ahead, while grand old San Fran
,isco is putting on the airs of 1878.
Not only is real estate advancing
'apidly in these places, but all
branches of business shows great
lctivity. Of course Southern Cali
ornia is receiving the cream of all
,oom and Los Angeles is the hub
md distributing point of Southern
California. The tens of thousands
# people who are at present seeking
ZONES in Southern California has pro-
luced almost real estate craze, but
is a great mistake to think that
cal estate is the only prosperous
business done there.
Last July we went as far up the
,oast as the British line, and leave
hortly to take the same trip over
gain, extending our journey as far
iorthward as Sitka, Alaska Re
urning, we will abandon the steamer
t Puget Sound and make an over
and rail trip to Los Angeles. thus
making a sea voyage and inland trip
4 the entire Pacific coast We will
hen be enabled to discuss this boom
IuestiOn from personal observation
s vel as note The changes that have
AIKEN place since our visit last sum
1er.
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